Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is growing frustrated with all the losing he's experiencing in his first season in Hollywood. James spoke to reporters after their dismal 128-115 loss against the Anthony Davis-less New Orleans Pelicans, and admitted that he's having a tough time adjusting with the Lakers, per Fox Sports.
“I knew it was going to be very challenging,” James said. “Just because of the experience the roster had at that point and time. I knew it was going to be challenging from that sense, but I felt like we could still play better basketball.
“And we were doing that and obviously it sucks that my injury happened and [Lonzo Ball’s] injury happened and so many of our injuries happened.”
James he knew what he was going into coming into this season with this young Lakers squad. And thus far, the four-time MVP has done all that he can to help them grow and get better as a team. In fact, they had already started to find their rhythm and play well together as a group by December, sporting a 20-14 record that was good for fourth in the West.
However, an unfortunate groin injury from James on Christmas day derailed all the momentum they had gained from a 15-8 stretch after going 5-6 to start the year. And all that momentum came to an end as soon as they notched perhaps their biggest win of the season against the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Christmas.
James went on to miss 17 games from late December to late January, while Rajon Rondo was out for 14 games during that span. Starting point guard Lonzo Ball also suffered a severe ankle injury in late January, and there seems to be no exact timeline for his return.
Over the stretch that James and Rondo missed, the Lakers went from fourth to out of the playoff race. And ever since his return, the Lakers have struggled to find consistency.
In addition to the injury woes, the Anthony Davis trade rumors that clouded the franchise and its young stars clearly had an effect on the team's chemistry. Now they are struggling to do so after an awkward week or so of trade offers popping left and right.
Nonetheless, the Lakers are here right now, and have no choice but to move past everything that's happened over that tumultuous stretch.
It isn't going to be easy from here on out, however. The Lakers have one of the toughest remaining schedules, with 14 of their final 23 contests coming against teams that are over .500.
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